This invention relates in general to delivery systems and in particular to an improved package and mail delivery system.
In a conventional package delivery system, packages including parcels and envelopes are delivered in the following manner. The shipper of the parcel or envelope is identified and the shipper""s name, telephone number and address as well as the receiver""s name, telephone number and address are recorded on a delivery form. The delivery type, tracking number and other remarks such as COD and other special instructions are also recorded on the delivery form. After the above-noted information has been recorded on the delivery form, the form is placed onto or attached to each package. Some delivery forms have pre-printed barcodes, or a separate barcode label may be printed and placed onto or attached to the package. The barcodes may be used as tracking numbers also.
In a conventional package delivery system, packages are picked up by delivery companies from locations where the above-noted information is input into a computer for purposes such as invoicing and tracing. Tracking numbers on the delivery forms or on the separate barcode labels are read by a barcode scanner and transmitted to the central computer center for customer service, so that information of the whereabouts of the packages can be provided in response to customer inquiry. The packages are typically sorted manually by having a person read the receiver""s address on the delivery form of each package. After the packages have been sorted they are delivered by train, truck or plane, depending on the type of delivery specified on the delivery form, to the destination. On its way, the package may need to be sorted repeatedly by hand at different locations in a similar manner before it is delivered to the specified destination. During each step of the delivery process, the tracking number of each package may be read by a barcode scanner and transmitted to the central computer center.
The above-described conventional package delivery system is expensive and prone to errors. Since the sorting is done manually, a large number of people would have to be hired to sort the packages by means of the information entered on the delivery forms.
In view of the above disadvantages, alternatives have been proposed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,842 for example, an integrated circuit package label and/or manifest system is proposed by Dlugos, Sr. et al. In this system, a battery or solar cell powered integrated circuit package label is attached to each package, where each label is used to store delivery information. After the package has been delivered, the label is detached and returned to the carrier, where some or all of the information in the label is read by a terminal and uploaded to a host computer for billing and analysis. The label is then reused.
While the proposed integrated circuit patched label of Dlugos, Sr. et al. described above is an improvement over the conventional system, the labels proposed by Dlugos, Sr. et al. are expensive since each of such labels requires a microprocessor and a battery or solar cell for powering the label. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a simpler design for the package delivery system which is simpler and inexpensive.
A first aspect of the invention is directed towards a method for tracking items in a package delivery system comprising writing into a plurality of storage labels, each of the labels associated with an item to be delivered, information concerning delivery of the items, said information useful for automated sorting and tracking the items along their passage to destinations; transporting the items and their associated labels; applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the information and causing said labels to provide said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels. The method further comprises sorting the items by means of the information retrieved and delivering the sorted items to destinations.
Another aspect of the invention is directed towards a system for tracking items in package delivery comprising a plurality of storage labels; means for writing into each of said plurality of storage labels, information concerning delivery of an associated item, said information useful for automated sorting and tracking the items along their passage to destinations; means for transporting the items and their associated labels and means for applying query signals to the labels to retrieve the information, said labels providing said information by means of energy of the query signals received by the labels. The system further comprises means for sorting the items by means of the information retrieved and means for delivering the sorted items to destinations.